Seduce Me Read Online Free PDF Page B

stifle a grin.
    As the trio of men left the room to conduct their business, Atia was surprised to find Quintus’s gaze resting on her for a moment. She returned his bold look with an innocent smile. Insofar as one could have any feeling regarding a slave, Atia had to admit that Quintus was her favourite. Dark and lean, with a bluntness to his brow. He was pleasing to look on – for a slave. He was never lazy or sullen and Atia knew she could trust his discretion about what he’d seen. Yet his departing look made her feel that he was nevertheless plotting something behind his subservient gaze.
    The winter night had already closed in when Atia retired for her bath. In the country she was obliged to bathe in a simple, cramped tub, yet Cornelius’s Roman villa had its own luxurious bathing suite with a large circular pool set into the floor. Atia leaned her back against the curved side and closed her eyes. She let the heated water cleanse her limbs and her spirit, trying to forget Marcus’s earlier touch and the desire it had inflamed. Atia heard the door open and the sound of sloshing water as her personal slave, Arathusa, came to refresh the bathwater. Atia curled her toes in pleasure.
    â€˜I know you will be preparing for the slaves’ feast, Arathusa,’ she murmured sleepily, ‘but would you rub some scented oil on my skin before you leave?’ Any other time, Atia would have issued a command rather than a request, yet her father held strictly to the spirit of Saturnalia. He allowed his slaves to feast and game, attending only to the very basic needs of the family.
    Atia held her arms out as Arathusa knelt behind her and poured oil over her neck and shoulders. Yet the moment she felt that rough touch Atia knew that it was not Arathusa who had refilled her bath and was now massaging her skin. She opened her eyes to see a man’s hands wrapped around her forearms. She tensed and drew breath to protest but a familiar voice cut across her.
    â€˜Relax, mistress,’ said Quintus, his voice deep but not as gruff as Marcus’s. ‘There is little point in my ministrations if you are too tense. Close your eyes and lay your head back on my lap.’ The thought of protesting crossed her mind, yet his touch was firm, relaxing and his voice brooked no argument. Atia found herself doing as she was instructed without even thinking. As Quintus’s hands moved to work on her shoulders, Atia briefly wondered what her father would say. Despite his strictness in keeping the spirit of Saturnalia, Atia suspected that a male slave helping his daughter to bathe might be a step too far. And the fact that Quintus had ordered her about in such a tone – even at Saturnalia – would undoubtedly infuriate him. The thought added a touch of delicious wickedness to the situation.
    As she leaned into his massage, Atia could feel his dense calf muscles beneath her head, the rough fabric of his tunic brushing against her cheek. She thought how drastically different it was to the smooth silk of Marcus’s fine togas. Quintus’s movements were smooth and his fingers were agile, finding hidden knots of tension in her shoulders.
    â€˜I noticed you seemed a little … disconcerted when I came across you and Gaius Marcus earlier,’ commented Quintus, the amusement in his voice evident. ‘Were Marcus’s attentions unpleasant to you?’ Atia tried to remain calm and relaxed, although anger flared within her at his impertinent question
    â€˜I do not think that is any of your business,’ she replied. Atia was painfully aware that it was almost impossible to carry off an indignant attitude when she was lying naked and oiled before him.
    â€˜My mistress’s pleasure is one of my main concerns,’ said Quintus in a low voice. As he spoke, his hands moved away from Atia’s shoulders and slipped down to encircle her breasts. Atia drew in a sharp breath to protest, yet no